Using the AMUS EMAIL Package Written by Dave Heyliger - AMUS Staff and author of EMAIL YOUR EMAIL USER ID ================== You should by now have an EMAIL user NAME and PASSWORD that your system operator has assigned to you. This is your private logon ID. If you do not have an EMAIL user ID, ask your system operator to assign you one. Don't tell anyone your password! If at any time you would like your password changed, talk to your system operator. The SYSOP will be able to give you a new password. If you prefer, use the EMPASS command from the dot. This allows you to change your password by yourself. INFORMING EMAIL YOU ARE ON-LINE =============================== Each time you log on to your system, you should do so via the EMAIL logon routine. You will know if your system operator has set up this routine because you should see Enter your EMAIL user name: on your screen. Simply enter in your user NAME. If anyone has sent you mail, EMAIL will inform you of your new messages at this time. If the above prompt is not on your screen, you should enter in MAILON from "the dot". This will produce the above prompt for you. Once you have entered in your EMAIL user name, EMAIL will record you as "on-line". You now may access EMAIL at any time from this terminal. ACCESSING THE EMAIL PROGRAM =========================== To access EMAIL one you have been recorded as "on-line", all you need to do is enter in EMAIL from "the dot" (or select EMAIL from your menu option list). You should see the following prompt: Enter your EMAIL password: You should enter in your secret password at this time. If you mis-type your password OR if you didn't run MAILON on the terminal you are currently typing on, EMAIL won't let you in. If your password matches up for the terminal you are working on, you will then see the following: EMAIL > HELP is available, just type ? List Delete Read Unread Vue Send Bulk File Auto Quit All of your options that you may perform from within EMAIL are listed below the command prompt (the ">"). Each command requires a single keystroke to execute. Let's take a look at each EMAIL command. *** ? (help) To see what each command can do for you, you may enter in the "?" at any time. This will help you remember how to use EMAIL without refering to this manual. *** L (list) To have all of your messages listed to the screen, enter in the "L" key. You will see each mail message in your mailbox listed. Each message has the following data: WHO send you the message, the TIME they sent the message, and a COMMENT about the mail message. Notice that each mail message has a message number. This number is used when you want to read or delete a message in your mailbox. Also, notice that messages you have not read are displayed all in bright output, and messages you have read but not yet deleted are displayed in dim output (except for the title of the message). If you have more than 30 mail messages in your mailbox, EMAIL will warn you that your mailbox is "almost full". You may have a total of 40 mail messages in your List, and you should make it a habit of deleting your "old" mail once the mail has been read and you no longer need to refer to the message. This will allow ample room for others to send you more new mail. If you let your mailbox get full, then other users won't be able to send you any new mail! Don't be afraid to keep a few of your mail messages around if you know you might need to refer to the message(s) at a later date. *** U (unread) To see all of the messages you have sent to other users that have not been read, enter in "U". All of your unread mail will be listed to the terminal in similar fashion to List above. You may have up to 40 unread messages in your mailbox. If you have 40 unread mail messages in your mailbox and you send yet another message to another user, the mail message will be sent but it will NOT be recorded in your unread mail listing. *** R (read) Read allows you to either read the messages that users have sent to you or read your Unread messages. Reading a message from your List To read a message from your List, you enter in "L" to see the message number you would like to Read, and then enter in "R #" where "#" is the message number you would like to Read. You are allowed to read both new and already read messages. If the message you read was new, notice that the next time you perform "L", the message will be in dim output. Reading a message from your Unread list To read a message from your Unread list, you need to first perform an "U" to list all unread messages to your screen. Once you find the message number you would like to examine, enter in "R #" just like you were reading a message from your List. The unread message will be displayed to your screen. *** D (delete) Delete allows you to either delete a message that a user has sent to you or delete an Unread message. Deleting a message from your List To delete a message from your List, you enter in "L" to see the message number you would like to Delete, and then enter in "D #" where "#" is the message number you would like to Delete. You are allowed to delete only already read messages. EMAIL will not allow you to delete a message you have not Read. Deleting a message from your Unread list To delete a message from your Unread list, you need to first perform an "U" to list all unread messages to your screen. Once you find the message number you would like to delete, enter in "D #" just like you were deleting a message from your List. The unread message will be deleted from your Unread mail list AND from the recievers mailbox. *** V (Vue) EMAIL allows you to call the word processor VUE from within the EMAIL program. This is how you may create a message to Send to another user while remaining in the EMAIL program. EMAIL assumes that you are familiar with the VUE word processor (it is very similar to SuperVue, if this helps). If you select "V" from within EMAIL, you are only allowed to enter in a "first name" of a message you would like to create. The default extension of the file is ".MAL". You should understand that the name of the file is really unimportant. The name of the file is "transparent" to the EMAIL system - i.e., only the EMAIL system needs the filename to work properly. Don't concern youself too much as to the name you select for the file you would like to create. In other words, if you call a the file you would like to create "XIE8S", then that's AOK! EMAIL does not ever display this filename to anyone. Valid filenames are any name up to 6 characters in length that contain A..z and/or 0..1. Once you selected the "V" option, EMAIL asks you for a file name up to 6 characters in length. You have two options at this time: 1) entering in some sort of valid filename, or 2) entering in a RETURN to cancel the the "V" option and return you to EMAIL command mode. If you chose to create a new file, enter in a valid name at this time. EMAIL will then look in the "master filename list" on your system and see if anyone else has selected this filename as a message file. If EMAIL finds a file with this name, EMAIL will "beep" at you and ask you for some other filename. Remember, the filename is really of no importance, so you may be creative and enter in a "weird" name if you like. Once a unique filename has been selected by you, you will then be inside the VUE word processor. Here is where you may create your message of any length. Once you are through editing you message, you should Finish from VUE. This will create a "filename.mal" file in the PPN you are currently logged into. You are now ready to send this file via the Send option. You should notice that if there is a "filename.mal" file in the PPN you are currently logged into, you may VUE this file from within EMAIL by selecting the "V" option and then entering in just the first name of the file. VUE will be initialized and you may then edit this file to your liking. However, if EMAIL finds a matching filename in the "master filename list", EMAIL will "beep" at you and not let you VUE this file. Your option is to Quit from EMAIL and RENAME the file OR select another unique filename from within EMAIL and then yank in the file once inside of VUE (again, I am assuming you understand how VUE works). *** S (send) Send allows you two options: 1) sending a file you have just created via the "V" option, or 2) sending any other text file that is in your current PPN. 1) Sending a file you have created via the "V" option Once you have created a mail message within EMAIL via the "V" command, you are ready to send the message to the user. Selecting the "S" option will produce the following display: TO: You should enter in the name of the user you would like to send the file to at this time (see WHO below if you are not sure of the EMAIL user's name). If you enter in a non-EMAIL user name, EMAIL will "beep" at you and inform you that this user is not found. If you have entered in a valid EMAIL user's name, you will then see the following: FILENAME: You have two options here. You may either enter in the first name of the file you have just created via "V" (it defaults to "filename.mal") or you may enter in any valid ascii filename that is in your current PPN (both firstname and extension). Notice that at the top of your screen, EMAIL will display the "most recently edited file" for you in case you forgot the name of the file you just created. Also note that if you made a mistake and did NOT want the Send option, entering in a RETURN at one of the above prompts will return you to EMAIL command mode. Once EMAIL finds the file that you would like to send, it will again make sure that the "master filename list" does not contain this particular name. If the filename is not unique, you may not send the file (EMAIL will tell you so). Assuming that the filename is unique, the last prompt before the send is: TITLE: You have two options. You may enter in a short "title" of the message you are about to send, or you may enter in a RETURN (no title). Once this final prompt is complete, you will then see the NAME of the EMAIL user who you are sending the file to appear on your screen, their AUTO reply (if present... see AUTO below), and whether the user is on-line or off-line. If the user is on-line, two possibilities exists. If the EMAIL user is at "the dot", a "new mail message" will appear on their screen. If the user is NOT at "the dot" their terminal will "beep". This is how EMAIL informs on-line users that they have just recieved new mail. Therefore, if you terminal ever "beeps" while you are in a program, more likely than not a user has just sent you EMAIL, and if you are at "the dot", you will see a "new mail message" appear on your screen! Once the file has been sent, EMAIL will then ERASE the file from your current PPN. Note that you may only send a message of a given filename ONCE (unless you use BULK MAILING - see below). This is because your file is now in the "master filename list". Only when the message has been deleted (either from you via Unread Delete, or the recipient via List Delete) may this filename be used again. 2) Sending a file created from VUE from outside of EMAIL If you have some other filename other than "filename.mal" that you would like to send, the format is very similar to (1) above. The only difference is that you should enter in the full filename and the extension when EMAIL asks you for the filename. If the first name of the file is unique according to the "master filename list", the file will be send AND THE FILE WILL NOT BE ERASED FROM YOUR PPN AS LONG AS THE EXTENSION IS ANYTHING BUT ".MAL". Send only deletes "filename.mal" files after a Send. *** B (bulk mail) Bulk mail is a really neat feature of the AMUS EMAIL package and you should take the time to learn how to use it. Bulk mail allows you to send one file to a list of users (called a "packet") all at once! This is a great way to send the same message to a group of users with a minimum amount of fuss. Bulk mail allows the following options: 1) List all your personal bulk mail "packets". 2) Delete one of your personal bulk mail "packets". 3) Edit (or create) a bulk mail "packet". 4) Send a file to all users contained in a "packet". 5) Quit and return to the EMAIL command mode. 1) Listing all of your personal bulk mailing "packets" EMAIL allows each user to have a total of 8 packets defined unique to them. Each packet may contain up to 15 valid EMAIL users. To see all of the packets that you have defined, you may select the "L" option from within bulk mail. This will list each packet to the screen - packet name in bright output, EMAIL users contained within the packet in dim output. If you have never defined any bulk mailing packets, EMAIL will "beep" and inform you that you do not have any bulk mailing packets defined. 2) Deleting one of your personal bulk mail "packets" If you would like to delete one of your packets, EMAIL allows you to do so. When you select the "D" option from within bulk mail, you will see each packet you have defined appear on your screen. You may then select the packet that you would like deleted. Once this selection has been made, EMAIL will display all of the users contained within the EMAIL package and ask you if you "really want to do this". If you answer with a "Y", the package will be deleted. Any other key will NOT delete your defined EMAIL packet. 3) Edit (or create) a bulk mail "packet" EMAIL allows a total of 8 defined packets containing up to 15 users/packet. To edit an existing packet (or create a new packet) select the "E" option from within bulk mailing. Once you select a packet to edit or create, bulk mailing will then display each user (if any) in the packet and give you the following options: A (Add user) D (Delete user) F (Finish and "write" changes to the disk) Q (Quit and don't record any changes at all) A (Add user) Selecting the "A" option will place the cursor at the first free available slot and wait for you to enter in an EMAIL users name. There are four restrictions: 1) each name entered must be unique, 2) YOU are not allowed to be in your own packet lists, 3) no more than 15 people total per packet, and 4) each user entered must be valid. EMAIL will "beep" at you and display the corresponding error message if any of the above 4 restrictions are violated. Assuming there is space in the EMAIL packet, enter in the user where the cursor is resting. Once the user has been entered (and EMAIL finds this user), you will return to the bulk mail edit option prompt. You may then continue to chose "A" for up to 15 users total. D (Delete user) When you want to delete a user from the chosen bulk packet you are currently editing, select the "D" option from the bulk mail edit prompt. The cursor will be resting at the first name of the user in the packet. You now have 2 options: selecting "Y" for "yes, delete this user", or selecting "N" for "no, don't delete this user". If you chose the "Y" option, the name will be deleted from the packet. If you chose the "N" option, the user remains defined to the packet. Opon either choice, once the selection has been made, the cursor will then jump to the next defined user and again wait for a "Y" or "N" responce. Once you have answered to each user present in the packet, the cursor will then return to the bulk mail edit option prompt. F (Finish) and Q (Quit) This is exactly like Finish and Quit from within VUE. Remember VUE allows you to Quit (don't record any changes made since I started to edit) or Finish (record every change I made). If you are sure of your changes to your bulk mail packet, you would finish the editing session with an "F". If you made a mistake or you do not want to record your editing changes, enter in a "Q". 4) Send a file to a all users contained in a "packet" To send one file to all users defined in a bulk packet, select the "S" option at the bulk mail option prompt. This selection will then list all of the names of your packets to the screen and ask you to select the packet name to be used for the mailing. Once the packet has been selected, you will then be prompted for a filename and title just like Send above. If the entries input are valid, you will see a "bulk mailing" right before your eyes. Each user, their auto reply, and their on-line/off-line status will be displayed. Slick! 5) Quit and return to the EMAIL command mode Selecting the "Q" option will exit you from bulk mail and place you back at EMAIL command mode. *** F (file) The "F" option from within EMAIL allows you to create a file of a given message number in your List. You may call the file any valid name you like in the format of "filename.extension". To create a file in the current PPN you are logged into, first select the "L" option to see what the message number is that you would like to save to a file. Once you discover the valid message number, select the "F" option. The following prompt will appear: Enter message number from LIST: At this time you should enter in the message number from your List that you would like saved to a file. EMAIL will only allow you to create a file of a mail message if you have previously Read the message. EMAIL will "beep" at you if you have not first Read the message. Once a valid message number from your List has been entered at the above prompt, EMAIL will then ask you for a filename that you would like to call the saved mail message: Enter a filename to save to: You may enter in any valid filename at this time. The default for the extension in ".LST". If there is not a file in your current PPN that matches the filename entered on the above prompt, EMAIL will then create the file for you of your selected mail message. *** A (auto reply) This is more of a novelty than anything else. Remember from Send above, if you send a message to a user and this user has created an "auto reply", you will see this reply each time you send this user a mail message. You are allowed to edit your auto reply at any time. To do so, select the "A" option from the EMAIL command mode. This will display your current auto reply (if present) and ask you for an update (optional). For example, you might see something like this: Auto Reply is: WOW! That last letter was great! Updated Reply: The cursor will be resting at the update prompt. Enter in a RETURN to cancel the update, else enter in a new reply and end the reply with a RETURN. Your new auto reply will then be displayed on the Auto Reply line, and you will be returned to EMAIL command mode. *** Q (quit) Selecting "Q" from the EMAIL command mode will return you to "the dot" or your menu. .